Two outbreaks of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in Sardinia: one in Escalaplano, which is still active after the virus was confirmed in early June, and one in Samugheo, which is now extinct but still regulated by the safety zone, are blocking the movement of cattle across much of Sardinia.
While in the second case, the infected herd was culled, in the first outbreak, the farmer appealed against the culling of the cattle on his farm. A ruling on the matter is awaited from the Regional Administrative Court (TAR), which could issue its first opinion, perhaps as early as early autumn," Confagricoltura explains in a statement. "And while the epidemiological situation appears to be well managed by veterinary services, the economic and financial situation of hundreds of livestock farms is being impacted by a halt to the movement and sale of cattle, which is weighing increasingly on company balance sheets every week and on the ability to sell the animals, should the restrictions be eased in the near future."
"Are the Regional Administrative Court's assessment and intervention timeframes compatible with the agricultural economy of a significant segment of the island's livestock sector?" asks Stefano Taras, president of the agricultural organization. "Our members, awaiting the ruling of the Regional Administrative Court, which should make its own assessments while also taking into account the many families facing extreme hardship, have been facing for months a surge in fuel, feed, and agro-health products, with ever-increasing farm management costs compounded by the expected loss of income from the sale of calves destined, primarily, for fattening centers on the peninsula. Keeping animals on the farm means increasing maintenance costs, including fodder and feed, and risks having animals that, once they reach a certain weight, lose market appeal and suffer significant depreciation."
In this situation, Confagricoltura Sardegna appeals "to the sensitivity and attention of the political and judicial world, to ensure prompt and definitive responses to an appeal that is keeping hundreds of farmers in suspense. In a few weeks, they will have to restart their tractors to work their land in preparation for the new agricultural season."
